Bag-fastener.



L. B. PRAHAR.

BAG FASTENBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1912.

Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

WITNE 85 8 m: WM

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH JO-WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS B. PRAHAR, OF MASSAPEQUA, NEW YORK.

BAG-FASTENER.

Application filed May 24,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LOUIS B. PRAHAR, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Massapequa, in the countyof Nassau and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bag- Fasteners, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to that type of bag fastener in which there is apivoted spring pressed fastening member carried by one jaw and movabletoward and from the other jaw to detachably engage with the latter andretain the jaws in closed position. Fasteners of this type are usuallycomparatively short and lock the jaws only at a point intermediate ofthe ends of the jaws. The jaws being formed of comparatively thin sheetmetal are liable to become bent particularly if the bag is filled to anexcessive extent and the jaws may become spread apart at the corners andsmall objects such as coins often slip out. To prevent this as well asto cover the meeting line between the jaws it is common to provide oneof the aws with a rigid member extending lengthwise of the jaw andprojecting over the meeting line. This does not prevent coins fromslipping out along the end portions of the jaws if the latter are bentor distorted to any material extent.

The object of my invention is to insure the retention of the jaws inproper closed position along their entire length and with the aid ofonly a single fastening member and without any additional protecting orcovering plate.

A further object of my invention is to simplify the pivotal connectionbetween the fastening member and the jaw carrying the same so as toreduce the cost of manufacture and simplify the operation of assemblingthe arts.

A further object is to simplify the spring retaining means for thefastening member and a further object is to facilitate a movement of thefastening member for a series of projections by the action of only asingle tilting device which preferably constitutes the finger piece ofthe fastening member.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification and in which similar reference char- Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24-, 1912.

Serial No. 699,557.

acters indicate corresponding parts in sev cral views.

Figure 1 is a face view of the jaws in closed position. Fig. 2 is asimilar view but with the parts in position ust prior to snapping intoplace. Figs. 3, 1 and 5 are transverse sections on the lines 33', l4,and 55 respectively of Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is an inner face view of thejaw carrying the fastening member.

My invention is illustrated as being applied to a pair of bag jaws 10and 11 of the common type. My improved fastening member in its preferredform is cut and bent from a single piece of sheet metal and issubstantially in the form of an inverted channel 12 extendingapproximately the entire length of the top surface of the jaws. Thischannel shaped fastening member is pivotally secured to one of the awsin a very simple and efficient manner. The channel lies with its edgesagainst the top surface of the two jaws and extends across the meetingline between the two jaws. The channel at one edge has a series of ln s13 which may be bent sidewise or edgewise for forming a combined pivotand retainer. In the form shown each lug is in the form of two separatelugs closely adjacent to each other. These lugs project through openingsin the aw 10 and are bent over, split, spread apart or swaged so as toprevent their withdrawal. A sufficient amount of lost motion ispermitted so that the fastening member may tilt but cannot be raised orseparated from the jaw 10. The same edge which carries the lugs 13 alsocarries one or more lugs 14 which project into the jaw and may contactwith either side of the jaw during the tilting of the member so as toconstitute a stop and limit the movement in each direction. By means ofthis simple arrangement of lugs the fastening member is not only securedin place but is permitted to tilt and this tilting is restrained to thedesired limits.

For resiliently holding the member in operative position I provide atorsion spring 15 extending lengthwise of the member inside of thelatter and having one end projecting through an opening in the jaw toprevent the turning of that end and having the other end held beneath alug 16 on one edge of the fastening member in such a manner as toprevent the twisting of the last mentioned end. In assembling the partsthe spring is first secured to the lug 1.6 and is then twisted to thedesired extent and the free end projected through the opening into thejaw. The lugs on the fastening member are then slipped in the openingsin the jaw and when bent at their inner ends the assembling is complete.The other jaw 11 and the free edge of the fastening member cooperate tolock the jaws together. Any suitable means may be provided for thispurpose but preferably the jaw 11. is provided with three series ofprojections 17, 18 and 19 disposed adjacent to the opposite ends of thejaw and at a point intermediate of the ends. The fastening memberintermediate of its ends carries a finger piece 20 preferably integralwith the fastening mem ber and formed as a flange on the free edge andby means of this finger piece the fastening member be tilted to permitthe escape of the projections 17, 18 and 19 and thus permit the openingof the bag. The projections may be inclined so that in closing the bageach and all of them will engage with the edge of the fastening memberto tilt the latter or only the center projections 18 may engage with theinclined lower side of the finger piece 20 and tilt the entire fasteningdevice so that the end projections 17 and 19 may slip beneath thefastening member.

. It will be noted that the fastening memher not only protects theentire top edge of the jaws and prevents anything from slipping outbetween these edges but that it also serves to lock the jaws togetheradjacent to the two corners so that these corners cannot be spread apartand permit a coin or other object to slip out of the bag between the endportions of the jaws. Furthermore the entire fastening and concealingmember is formed of only a single piece of sheet metal and theassembling of the parts is an operation so simple that no particularskill or complicated mechanism is necessary.

Various changes may be made in the con struction and arrangement ofdetails within the scope of the appended claims and without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a pair of jaws, of a pivoted fastening memberextending lengthwise of one of said jaws, separate means adjacent to theopposite ends of the other jaw for engaging with said member to retainsaid jaws in closed position and a finger piece intermediate of the endsof said member for releasing said means and also serving as a fasteningmeans.

2. The combination with a pair of jaws of a pivoted fastening memberextending lengthwise of one of said jaws, separate means on the otherjaw adjacent to the opposite ends of said member for engaging with saidmember to retain said jaws in closed position, a finger piece carried bysaid member intermediate of its ends and means for engaging with saidfinger piece to tilt said member upon the closing of the jaws.

3. The combination with a pair of jaws, a fastening member extendinglengthwise 'of one of said jaws and having one edge thereof providedwith a pair of lugs projecting into said jaw and spread apart at theirinner ends to retain said member in position and permit of a tiltingmovement and means on the other jaw for engaging with said member toretain said jaws in closed position.

L. The combination with a pair of jaws, a fastening member extendinglengthwise of one of said jaws and having one edge thereof provided witha series of lugs projecting into said jaw and certain of said lugsconstituting combined pivots and retainers for said member and one ofsaid lugs constituting a stop to limit the tilting movement of saidmember and means on the other jaw for engaging with said members toretain the jaws in closed position,

Signed at Brooklyn in the county of Kings and State of New York this 23dday of May A. D. 1912.

LOUTS B. PRAHAR.

Witnesses CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, CEOELIA POLLOGK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

